She doesn’t just knit sweaters for you in her rocking chair or bake chocolate chip cookies for you on the weekend and he isn’t just someone who taught you to manoeuvre your first toy car or mow the lawn. Grandparents do far more than that and the best part is that they enjoy every bit of grand-parenting. Similarly, grandchildren too enjoy their status for with it comes the best of stories, unending supply of goodies, loads of pampering and the greatest summer vacations. We ask both groups what they love most about the roles they play.
Thanglen Soubam, an associate producer, says: “What I love about being a grandchild is that you get unconditional love and support. They are the first ones I go to for anything or even if I want to talk about something because I know they are always on my side. The good part is you're always willing to listen to them. With grandparents, we don't get aggressive or opinionated. Recently my grandma gifted me a ring to keep forever. It's a huge responsibility.”
According to James Sundararajan, associate director of a mission organisation, “Enjoying great food cooked the old fashioned way is what I loved most about being a grandchild. My grandma knew I loved her multigrain laddu so she would stand for hours in the sun pounding the grains on a traditional pounding stone. The new grinding mills seemed useless to her. Only a grandma would do that for her grandchildren.”
One of the nicest things about being grandchildren is that no matter how old you get, your grandparents never stop spoiling you rotten. Roopa Fernandes Serrao, a teacher, says: “My grandma keeps giving me lot of life tips accompanied by gifts that range from gold to chocolates, even today, constantly reminding me that it is I who made her a grandmother. She also never forgets to thank me for giving her a great grandson who she shares her birthday with.”
Speaking for her children, Sunehra Koshy, a crafter, says: “Apart from all the chocolate, candies and toys, the perks I see my kids enjoy from being grandchildren is that they get a little pocket of time to be indulged. They don’t get scolded and can pretty much do what they want with the people who adore them.”
Mita Alfred, a doctor says: “My baby is the first grandchild to my parents so they go all out and pamper her, and all of 11 months, the little girl totally enjoys it. She loves it when her grandparents come over to babysit and plays with them hours on end.
While we’re so caught up with work at the hospital, she knows that when her grandfather is around, she gets to go for long walks and when my mother and my mother-in-law come to take care of her, she screams in excitement and wants them to carry her immediately, forgetting her parents are still around. We’re so relieved to have grandparents as babysitters who we can actually entrust our child to.”
Grandparents too enjoy their designation just as much as their grandchildren. “I love that I can act silly around my grandchildren. They’re not like your kids who tell you not to embarrass them,” quips Iti Gupta, a former teacher, adding: “They are the reason I’m still a teacher much after having retired. Also, I’ve learnt to enjoy the simple joys of life.”
For Rajesh Kapil, another grandparent, “What my wife and I love most about being grandparents is that it’s a total break from parenting. It’s great to enjoy kids and not have to worry about multitasking, paying bills or even doing the laundry! I also love that we learn something new from them everyday. While my grandson is teaching me what Facebook is about, my granddaughter is teaching my wife the little French that she’s learning at school.”
So maybe what American anthropologist, Margaret Mead, said is in fact true. “Everyone needs to have access both to grandparents and grandchildren in order to be a full human being.”
